Mahr Azwajun Nabi (Radiallahu Anhunna)

Fundamentally the difference between Mahr Azwājun Nabi and Mahr Fatimi is as follows;

Mahr Azwājun Nabi (the dowry of the wives) is a reference to the dowry given to most of the wives of our beloved Nabi Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam. According to the narration of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1462), this was 12.5 Ūqiyyah. Each Ūqiyyah is 40 dirhams (silver coins). Therefore, this equals to 500 dirhams. An authentic sermon of Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb Radhiallahu Anhu (d. 23/644) suggests that Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam did not set more than 12 Ūqiyyah in dowry for any of his wives or daughters. This would equal to 480 dirhams. However, it appears that the figure of 12.5 was rounded off to 12 by Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb Radhiallahu Anh . So what he actually meant is that 12.5 Ūqiyyah or more was set agreed by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam for his wives or daughters.

Mahr Fāṭimī is a common term that is used in reference to the dowry given to Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha (d. 11/632), the beloved daughter of our beloved Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam. There are various narrations and views of scholars regarding how much dowry was given to the daughters of the beloved Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam:

1)    12.5 Ūqiyyah (500 dirhams) 

 Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī (d. 1362/1943), Mufti Muḥammad Shafīʿ Uthmānī (d. 1396/1976), Mufti Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī (d. 1417/1996), Mawlānā Muḥammad Yūsuf Ludyānwī (d. 1421/2000), Mawlānā Khālid Sayf Allah Raḥmānī (b. 1376/1956) and Mufti Muḥammad Salmān Manṣūrpūrī (b. 1386/1967) mention 500 dirhams as Mahr Fāṭimī. Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī, Mufti Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī and Mawlānā Muḥammad Yūsuf Ludyānwī add that this was also the dowry of the other daughters.

2)    12 Ūqiyyah (480 dirhams) 

Mufti Rashīd Aḥmad Ludyānwī (d. 1422/2002) is inclined to this for Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha, as well as all the other daughters whilst affirming 500 dirhams for the wives of  Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam. This is also the view of Mufti Raḍaʾ al-Ḥaq Damat Barakatuhu (b. 1369-70/1950).

3)    10 Ūqiyyah (400 dirhams) 

ʿAllāmah Sarakhsī (d. ca. 490/1097) and Ḥāfiẓ ʿAynī (d. 855/1451) quote a narration without mentioning its chain or source that the dowry of Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha was 400 dirhams. ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Humām (d. 861/145), Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī (d. 1014/1605) and ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbidīn (d. 1252/1836) mention that it is known that her dowry was 400 dirhams. Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241/855) suggests without making reference to Fāṭimah Radiallahu Anha that the dowry of the daughters of the Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam was 400 dirhams.

4)    There is also another view regarding the dowry of Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha that it was 400 Mithqāl. This has been mentioned by Mufti Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī (d. 1417/1996) in one of his Fataawa although most of his Fataawa suggest 500 dirhams, as mentioned above. Mufti ʿAbd al-Raḥim Lājpūrī (d. 1422/2001) is also inclined to 400 Mithqāl based on precaution although he has mentioned some of the other views as well.

As there are various narrations and views in this regard, if a person adopts 400, 480 or 500 dirhams, he will be rewarded for acting upon what is transmitted in the narrations. There is no need to impose one view over the other especially when there are differing scholarly views and narrations. Nevertheless, the view of 500 dirhams appears to be the stronger view based on the following considerations:

1) This was the amount used by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam for most of his marriages.

2) The narration pertaining to 500 dirhams is transmitted in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the second most authentic Hadīth collection.

3) In relation to the dowry of most of the wives, the narration of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim is corroborated by other narrations. The narration that mentions 12 Ūqiyah is reconcilable, as mentioned above.

4) Many scholars are of the view that 500 dirhams was the dowry for the wives and the daughters of the Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam and this is supported via two narrations.

5) We have been unable to locate a general narration that mentions 400 or 480 dirhams for the dowry of the daughters of the Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam. The two narrations we located mention 500 dirhams.

6) On the other hand, the narrations regarding the specific dowry of Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha are contradictory. One narration mentions 480 dirhams. Another narration mentions 400 dirhams, and Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241/855) is reported to attribute this amount to all the daughters of the Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam, as mentioned above. The two narrations we located regarding the dowry of the daughters refer to 500 dirhams, as mentioned above, although it could be said that the dowry of Fāṭimah Radhiallahu Anha is exempt from this and it was 480 dirhams, as most of the specific narrations suggest.

7) Some narrations suggest that ʿHadhrat Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib Radhiallahu Ahnu (d. 40/661) did not have money and sold his armour for 400 or 480 dirhams. According to one narration Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam said to him, “Gather what you are able to and bring it to me”. This suggests that the dowry was based on the armour and what he was able to sell it for, not a pre-fixed amount in dirhams.

8) The famous Tābiʿī Imam Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib (d. 94/712-3) describes 500 dirhams as the Sunnah dowry.

9) Imam Nawawī (d. 676/1277) has explicitly written that 500 Dirhams dowry is Mustaḥab (desirable). Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī (d. 1014/1605) has also quoted him which suggests he shares the same view.

The preferred dowry is therefore 500 dirhams. However, as mentioned above, there is a difference of opinion regarding what is preferred and therefore any amount between 400 and 500 dirhams is valid for the Sunnah to be fulfilled. One should also note that there are differing views regarding the weight of a dirham,

The following Ulema are also inclined to this as they regard Mahr Fāṭimī as 500 dirhams; Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī (d. 1362/1943), Mufti Muḥammad Shafīʿ Uthmānī (d. 1396/1976), Mawlānā Muḥammad Yūsuf Ludyānwī (d. 1421/2000), Mawlānā Khālid Sayf Allah Raḥmānī (b. 1376/1956) and Mufti Muḥammad Salmān Manṣūrpūrī (b. 1386/1967) Most of the Fatwas of Mufti Maḥmūd Ḥasan Gangohī (d. 1417/1996) also suggest that he held this view as mentioned above.

The method of working out Mahr Azwājun Nabi/Mahr Fatimi based on the above that both are 500 Dirhams will be to multiply the current silver price per gram to 1530 grams.

Therefore, the Value of Mahr Azwājun Nabi/Mahr Fatimi on the 7th of July 2021 with the value of silver being R12.60 /gram will equal to R19 278.00

Alternatively, one could see the price of Mahr-Fatimi on the following website https://jamiat.org.za/ due to its fluctuation. They also determine the value according to 500 Dirhams.